Subscribe to RSSBig Train Day For Auckland
At 3,30pm this afternoon transport minister Steven Joyce unveils the plaque at the new Newmarket train station to officially open it.
It’s a ceremony that will attended by local MPs including Epsom MP and Act leader Rodney Hide, KiwiRail, and Auckand’s mayor and the present local body officials frm ARC and ARTA, who ironically are out of office when Hide’s bill becomes law.
Prior to that opening, the minister will announce the successful tenderer for the nuts and bolts of the electrification of the trains (such as the wires and masts).
This is the missing key bit to ensure electric trains will happen.
The Minister will then be given a tour of the facilities at the new $65m project, which includes new signals and the track layout.
But when the officials are gone, the doors will be shut again until the public is allowed to use it from Monday morning.
7 Comments
It should Helen Clark or Mike Lee opening this station not the road obsessed minister of transport. Please heckle him on my behalf.
Yes is Mike Lee invited? John Banks seems to be a PT convert in the sense that he at least supports it to certain extent but having Joyce on the opening plaque is a joke. Banks opened Britomart despite a huge opponent of the project and attempting to cancel it….
“Joyce on the opening plaque is a joke. Banks opened Britomart despite a huge opponent of the project and attempting to cancel it…”
Yeah, well, that’s politics and reality. What I find more irritating is that they open the station and then say “Whoops, no trains and passengers today yet!”. Should at least have a train arrive at Britomart and then shuttle the opening party to Newmarket - and if that isn’t possible yet, that could have been done Sunday…
It will be really interesting to see his comments for this as that will hopefully give an indication as to what we can expect in the coming years.
Personally I think it will be along the lines of “this station is a great addition to the Auckland rail network but Aucklanders will need to support the system more if they want any future development to continue” and there will also be something along the lines of “any future developments will need to be proved to have an excellent BCR before we will look at funding it”
Of course being an optimist I hope he also announces the governments plan start work the CBD rail tunnel and rail to the airport
Will there a memorial plaque to the missing link?
I’m sure Steve is sure to mention his RONs at some point as well. But its a good day for trains fans as he will be forced to say good things about rail
Who knows … maybe opening Britomart was the seed that eventually had Banksie see the light* … could the same thing happen to Joycie?
* … not that trains are good, but that trains get votes!